2009 Ashes

[Hank Schrader]

Watson I am sure will open the batting for Australia, he has done so for Queensland in the past.

[Tomsk]

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Watson I am sure will open the batting for Australia, he has done so for Queensland in the past.

With a top score of about 15 and average of about 3.

[Mibbes Aye]

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With a top score of about 15 and average of about 3.

Watson's intriguing IMO. He's a relatively decent opener in the one-day game and although that's a different approach, were he to find some success in this series at the top of the order then it has the potential to completely change Australia's selection strategy. He's as injury-prone as they come though.

[Hibbie_Cameron]

The weather and the late injury to Hadden hand further advantage to England, everything just seems to be going wrong for the Aussies so far

[Mibbes Aye]

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The weather and the late injury to Hadden hand further advantage to England, everything just seems to be going wrong for the Aussies so far

Would have to disagree. Australia scored at over four an over this evening, in no part due to some very slack English bowling. I know the weather forecast isn't great for the closing days but it's decent for tomorrow, where if the match isn't decided, at least one outcome could be ruled out.

Good day for Australia today, even if it was limited to one session. And a very good day for Shane Watson (and arguably more so for Ponting and the selectors). If, for the sake of argument, he had been dismissed early it would have had a big impact on proceedings in this match and the series and very much led to intense questioning of their credibility.

Losing Haddin is a blow though - he's come in and replaced a very good keeper and a rather unique batsman, yet done it calmly and confidently and shown a fair bit talent. Don't know an awful lot about Manou, but the Aussies seem to have a conveyor belt of unflustered, hard-grafting keepers so we'll see I suppose.

[Hank Schrader]

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With a top score of about 15 and average of about 3.

Made not a bad fist of it....but he must have still been asleep this morning facing that first ball!!!

[LiverpoolHibs]

Australia crumble to 203-8. Quite literally the perfect morning for England.

[Houchy]

Trying to get into it but don't understand it to be honest. I thought the idea was to twat the ball as hard as you could, and get more runs than the other team, however, how come 1 team can end up with more points but it's still a draw???

And don't get me started on the declaration thing... "yeah, we've got enough points now, we'll call it a day"... WHY??? Why not keep playing to try and get more runs?

[Mibbes Aye]

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Trying to get into it but don't understand it to be honest. I thought the idea was to twat the ball as hard as you could, and get more runs than the other team, however, how come 1 team can end up with more points but it's still a draw???

And don't get me started on the declaration thing... "yeah, we've got enough points now, we'll call it a day"... WHY??? Why not keep playing to try and get more runs?

To win you have to completely bowl your opponents out twice as well as scoring more runs.

So you could score as many runs as you like but if you don't have the ability (or the time) to take twenty wickets (i.e. have your opponents all out in both their innings) then the game will be a draw.

It means that timing becomes crucial. Likewise using the declaration. You want to give yourself enough time to let your bowlers take wickets. You might also want to declare on a score which gives your opponents a chance - if they're playing to win they'll take more risks than if they're seeing out a draw which means more opportunities for you to take wickets.

That's simplifying it a bit - the state of the pitch for example adds a whole extra dimension to any decision-making, as do a bunch of other things. Cricket is routinely described as boring by those who don't like it but in reality there are a huge number of different things going on at any one time.

[PC Stamp]

I can see England winning this one now if the weather holds. 113 ahead after the first innings with 30 or so overs to bowl at the Aussies tonight. The ball appears to be moving so if England can get two or three wickets down tonight then they are in a great position with a day left and good weather forecast.

[Houchy]

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To win you have to completely bowl your opponents out twice as well as scoring more runs.

So you could score as many runs as you like but if you don't have the ability (or the time) to take twenty wickets (i.e. have your opponents all out in both their innings) then the game will be a draw.

It means that timing becomes crucial. Likewise using the declaration. You want to give yourself enough time to let your bowlers take wickets. You might also want to declare on a score which gives your opponents a chance - if they're playing to win they'll take more risks than if they're seeing out a draw which means more opportunities for you to take wickets.

That's simplifying it a bit - the state of the pitch for example adds a whole extra dimension to any decision-making, as do a bunch of other things. Cricket is routinely described as boring by those who don't like it but in reality there are a huge number of different things going on at any one time.

Ah, ok, think i'm getting there.

Surely then, if you declare, with 2 or 3 players still to bat , you can't get all your players bowled out and therefore can't lose?

[Mibbes Aye]

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Ah, ok, think i'm getting there.

Surely then, if you declare, with 2 or 3 players still to bat , you can't get all your players bowled out and therefore can't lose?

Sorry, I've misled you.

I didn't word my explanation well enough - if you declare it is treated the same as being bowled out, from the point of view of your opponents.

Say Australia batted first and declared at 400-5. England then came in and scored 550 all out. If England then bowled Australia out for less than 150 they would win the match. If they bowled Australia out but Australia scored more than 150 second time around, England would still be able to win the match by overtaking Australia's run total.

Generally speaking, teams declare in their first innings because they have built up a big total and want to let their bowlers at the opposition. A declaration in the second-innings is more common though, to free up time for your bowlers to try and win the match.

[Hibs Class]

England win the toss, choose to bat and are 23 for 2 inside the first hour. Flintoff missing this one as well.

[Hibs Class]

Now 42 for 4 - looks like England decided to save Flintoff for the decider!

[Hibs Class]

72 for 6 at lunch - tremendous first session for the Aussies.

[Barney McGrew]

Now seven down, and they've not hit a ton yet.

They'll be praying for rain already.

[Barney McGrew]

Harmison away too.

98-8

[Barney McGrew]

All out for 102

[Danderhall Hibs]

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All out for 102

Ronnie Irani on TalkSport this morning:

Whoever wins the toss will go into bat and will be looking to score 450-500.

They're still looking then...

[Hibs Class]

This post is taken from the BBc blog on the match:

"I was going to eat up the miles in the gym this afternoon whilst watching England bat themselves into a good solid position (this is in aid of getting fit and trim for my upcoming nuptials). All of a sudden, I have lost the enthusiasm and as a result I will still appear chunky in my wedding photos. Thanks for ruining my life England"

[anon1]

WHY THE **** was Boparar kept on at number 3!?? Is 3 tests of pure ****eness at no. 3 not enough for Andrew 'cautious' Strauss to decide he doesn't warrant his place there!? No Sidebottom at Headingly too.

England deserve all they get in this match. NOTHING!

[Mibbes Aye]

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WHY THE **** was Boparar kept on at number 3!?? Is 3 tests of pure ****eness at no. 3 not enough for Andrew 'cautious' Strauss to decide he doesn't warrant his place there!? No Sidebottom at Headingly too.

England deserve all they get in this match. NOTHING!

Was surprised at his initial inclusion at three. The Australians historically had a habit of bringing batsmen in lower down the order and letting them work their way up. Seems to work on the whole.

Watson just gone but only after grabbing another half-century. He's done well with his chance. Great day for Australia, scoring at nearly five an over at the moment but aided by some woefully short English bowling that's getting pulled all over the place.

Be interesting to see if Hussey plays himself in now - he's probably underperformed so far by his standards.

[anon1]

Yeah, absolutely. I'm actually surprised that Australia haven't included both Hussey Brothers. David is proven at first class level & scores serious runs for Notts all the time. He was also in the Australia WC 20/20 side of course and did well from what I recall.

[hibbysam]

England eventually realising that to take wickets at headingly the ball needs to be pitched up, 151-4 now as well as the huge wicket of ponting., game on i say.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Yeah, absolutely. I'm actually surprised that Australia haven't included both Hussey Brothers. David is proven at first class level & scores serious runs for Notts all the time. He was also in the Australia WC 20/20 side of course and did well from what I recall.

He's certainly got a great record with Notts. Wonder if a Trent Bridge Test would have brought him more into the reckoning

He's not that young for a debutant but that doesn't seem to have been an issue for the Aussie selectors in recent times.

It'll be interesting to see what happens as a result of Watson making a decent fist of opening. I think Hughes is too good a player not to come back from the disappointment of his two Tests over here and in the wings, David Warner is making a name for himself as a batsman as explosive as the likes of Gilchrist was. Simon Katich has improved considerably over recent years and Phil Jaques looked an outstanding talent before injury saw him lose his place.

There's a lot of talent there just competing for two spots and as has always been the case, there'll be a few Australians who could have comfortably been Test regulars who won't because of the competition.

[Sergey]

I liked this play on words, taken from the BBC report on the days play.

The omens that batting might be a struggle came as early as the first ball, when Hilfenhaus swung a ball into Andrew Strauss's pads only to find umpire Billy Bowden reluctant to uphold an lbw appeal that had everything going for it.

That was a shocker of a decision. As plumb an lbw as you'll ever see.

[heretoday]

196-4 Australia closed on. If the sun comes out early doors they'll get a big score.

If it's dull I don't expect them to get that much of a lead and if England get their act together (which they surely will) someone could stick in and get a big one.

Great game!

[Mibbes Aye]

Clark's figures at lunch today:

6.5-3-7-3

[--------]

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England eventually realising that to take wickets at headingly the ball needs to be pitched up, 151-4 now as well as the huge wicket of ponting., game on i say.

Really?

4 for 297 already....

That's the hundred up before lunch.

Without loss.

OOOOHHHH DEARRRRR.

[--------]

4 for 300 now.....

Clarke's gone - 5 for 302.